Duke University Launches Systems Engineering Master’s Program

Duke University has announced a new Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering program for engineering professionals looking to build on their technical disciplinary background and gain the skills needed to design complex, multidisciplinary systems in their field.

“Our Systems Engineering master’s program provides our graduates with the skills and insights essential for the design and control of robust systems spanning across the physical, cyber and social domains,” said Vinik Dean of Engineering Jerome P. Lynch. “Our graduates will be intrepid problem solvers capable of tackling ever more complex societal problems where thorough understanding of system dynamics is the key to developing successful solutions.”

Offered through the Duke Pratt School of Engineering’s Institute for Enterprise Engineering, the forward-looking degree offering will teach modern approaches to systems engineering with an emphasis on intelligent and autonomous systems, which are increasingly at the center for every major industry.

“The systems of our world today look very different than they did even five or 10 years ago,” said Jon Reifschneider, executive director of the new program. “They’re cyber-physical in nature and increasingly intelligent and autonomous.”

“Building a program from the ground up to be a systems engineering program for the future and to equip our students to handle these emerging challenges versus trying to retrofit a more traditional program that’s been around for 20 or 30 years is a really unique thing,” Reifschneider added.

Industry-Focused and Flexible Learning Pathways

The program’s curriculum prioritizes hands-on, project-based learning with core coursework topics spanning systems engineering fundamentals, system modeling, and simulation and emerging technologies. Students can also opt to align their elective choices with specialized industry tracks to orient their learning toward the systems in a particular field while building interdisciplinary systems thinking that defines strong engineering leadership.

“Systems engineering principles are common across industries, but the context and challenges can look very different,” said Reifschneider. “A systems engineer in the space industry is going to look a lot different than a systems engineer in energy or health care. The industry tracks give students an opportunity to develop depth in an area while still learning the systems engineering methods that apply across sectors.”  

Initial industry track offerings include Cyber Systems, with elective options drawn from Duke’s AI for Product Innovation and Cybersecurity master’s programs, and Space Systems, developed in close collaboration with the Duke SPACE (Science and Policy to Advance Cosmic Exploration) Initiative.

“Working with Jon on the new Space Systems track has been a natural extension of our goal to grow space-related teaching and research while preparing students to connect technical depth with real-world impact,” said Dan Scolnic, co-director of the the Duke SPACE Initiative.

“We wanted to build in plenty of flexibility into the curriculum to allow students to focus in on their specific domain,” Reifschneider added. 

Flexibility is also a defining feature of the 24-month online option, which offers students the ability to complete the degree part-time to accommodate their professional and personal commitments. The online program is built with the same rigor and hands-on learning experiences as its on-campus counterpart, with a focus on small-group interaction and three on-campus residencies designed to foster community and applied learning. During residencies, students will enjoy a mix of academic and social activities that give them the opportunity to get to know Duke and spend time on campus. 

The online program will also employ innovative, hands-on approaches to engage students with the material, as compared to more traditional approaches using passive learning through videos or reading alone. “Our focus is to think more deeply about where the online learning experience is going, not how it’s been done in the past,” Reifschneider said.

Online and on-campus students alike will have access to Graduate Student Programs & Services, including career coaching, and a team of faculty with significant experience in industry to help bridge classroom learning with professional practice.

“We are indebted to our industry partners who greatly enrich the program through their input in the program design and curriculum and their partnership in offering real-world problems as context to our student learning,” added Lynch.

Applications for the fall 2027 cohort will open in early September. For more information, visit our Systems Engineering master’s program website or contact our master’s admissions team.